The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The Washington Roundtable on the Iran War

March 4, 2026·45 min·2-min readroundtablepolitics
Podzilla Summary (2 min)
TLDR
The United States and Israel have launched a major military assault on Iran, marking a dramatic reversal of Donald Trump’s long-standing promise to avoid wars of choice. With no clear strategic rationale, inconsistent justifications, and minimal public or congressional consultation, the c

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Donald TrumpJ.D. VancePete HegsethSusan GlasserJane MayerEvan OsnosMarco RubioAyatollah Ali Khamenei

Books

The Lessons of Iraq

Companies

The New Yorker

Topics

AuthoritarianismCriminal Justice ReformDemocracyForeign PolicyGeopoliticsInequalityMiddle EastUs Politics

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